Wall cabinet having a vertically swingable section



June 14, 1949. c. P. BOYD v WALL CABINET HAVING A VERTICALLY SWINGABLE SECTION Filed Aug. 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

cEc/L F? BoYo June 14, 1949. 1 c. P. BOYD 2,473,239

WALL CABINET HAVING A VERTICALLY SWINGABLE SECTION Filed Aug. 1e, 1946 2 sheets-sheet 2 v F/G. 3 F/a. 4

l INVQENTOR. CEc/Lx R Boy@ Patented June 14, 1949 WALL CABINET HAVING A VERTICALLY SWINGABLE SECTION Cecil Perry Boyd, Gettysburg, Pa.

Application August 16, 1946, Serial No. 691,123

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a unitary construction Which is especially adapted for use in building up modern type kitchen Wall cabinets which usually have a table or counter portion with the cabinets projecting upwardly from the rear portion of the table part or counter. These cabinets have shelves for carrying cooking materials of various kinds. Since these cabinets extend up- Wardly from the rear part of the table or counter, the top shelves in the cabinet cannot be reached by a great many housewives without the use of a stool or equivalent.

To make these top shelves easily accessible without the use of stools or their equivalent, it is the object of my present invention to provide a construction of a kitchen cabinet unit so that the top shelves thereof may be readily brought within reach without having to resort to a stool, thereby eliminating the hazard of falling.

Another object of my invention is to provide a. relatively simple and cheap construction for attaining the main purposes.

Further objects Will be discerned from a reading of the following specification taken in connection with the annexed drawings, wherein,

Figure l is a front elevational View of a cabinet unit without the closure doors.

Figure 2 is a View of Figure l looking from right to left.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the movable section of the cabinet withdrawn and moved downwardly to its lowermost position and with the handle mounted in an alternative location on the bottom wall of said section.

Figure 4 is a View on the line 4--4 of Figure 3 partly in section and partly in elevation.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a View on the line 6-6 of Figure 1 but with the movable section of the unit in one position of its movement.

In the different views wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts, I is a fixed section of the cabinet unit within which is positioned a movable section 2. The section 2 is pivotally vcarried by the fixed section I by two pairs of arms 3 and 4, there being a pair of these arms on each side of the movable section 2. The description of one pair of arms will suflice for the pair on the opposite side of the movable section 2. The arms 3 and 4 are pivoted at 5 and 6 to the side wall of the fixed section I while their opposite ends are pivoted at 'I and 8 to the side wall of the movable section 2. When the movable section 2 is in its normal position, i. e.. housed Within a fixed section I, the arms 3 and 4 are in position approximately as indicated in Figure 2 but when the movable section 2 is withdrawn and moved to its lower-most position, the arms are in the position as indicated in Figure 4.

Positioned in the upper part of the fixed section I and toward the rear thereof is a shaft 9 supported for rotation in the bearing members I0 and l I carried by the side walls of the section I. Fixed to the shaft 9 at each end thereof adjacent the supports IIJ and II are two pulleys I2 and I3. Each pulley has fastened thereto the inner end of a strong flexible member I4 which may be of tough rust-proof strip steel. The outer ends of the bands or members I4 are fastened in any satisfactory manner as by hooks I5 to the top part of the movable section 2. Also fixed to the shaft S is one end of a strong preferably iiat spring I6 one end of which is attached by a fastener I7 to the top part of the fixed section I. The spring I6 is heldin operative position by a pair of hub flanges I8 and I9, these being fastened to the shaft 9 in a satisfactory manner as by set screws 20. Another shaft 2I is rotatably carried in bearings 3I that are fastened to the side walls of the section I. On the shaft 2l are two rollers 22 and 23 that are free to turn on the shaft 2| and may be held in position by flexible washer 24 that are positioned over the shaft 2I. The rollers 22 and 23 may be of iiexible material such as rubber, preferably vulcanized to give them some degree of hardness. The rollers or bumpers 22 and 23 are used to assist in withdrawing and returning the section 2 from the section I as indicated in Figure 6.

It will be understood that the movable cabinet A2 may have as many shelves as desired, one intermediate shelf 25 being indicated and to the shelf 25 is shown in Fig, 1 a 'handle attached for the purpose of operating the movable section 2; however, in Figure 2 the handle 26 is shown attached to the lower shelf of the section 2.

Coming now to the operation of the structure, when it is desired to reach the material carried by the shelves in the movable section 2, the handle 25 is engaged and a pull applied thereto. This Will start the movable section 2 on its Withdrawal movement as indicated in Figure 6 Wherezby the bumpers or rollers 22 and 23 will engage the top part of the section and guide and assist in its Withdrawal from the fixed section 2. Continued pull on the handle 26 Will move the section 2 to its down position as shown in Figures 3 and 4, one position in this movement being 3 indicated by the broken line 21 in Figure 4. It will be noted that when the section 2 is in its down position, the arms 3 and 4 are in such a position that they will hold the section 2 in a down position, against the pull of the spring I6. However, when it is desired to return the section 2 back to its normal position. only a slight upward pushon the handle 26 is required to allow the spring 16, Lth'rough the connecting strapslml. to pull the cabinet`back-to its normal VVposition, where it will be noted that the arms 3 and 4 are as in Figure 4 in a position so that the sec tion 2 will be positively held inxzeitherof Tits,ful1yy operative positions. of each shelf may be equipped with v.a ledge 28 to prevent the material on the shelves from-slid-` If desired, the iorwarndxpart .l'ixshaft rotatably mounted adjacent the rear top ing oi. However, it is to bezrunderstood;.,thatr;

the arms 3 and 4 move in parallel relationship so as to hold the shelveaof the movable-sectionn 2 in a perfectly horizontal position. Furthermore; it 'is `tobe understood thatrfthespring; f6.5. andits interconnecting members with the section r 2 v'are so co-related'that' very'l littlel force; whether section and'a vmovable section *normallyfposi-f tioned within' the `i-lxed section` and: in spaced fre-1 lationwith its walls and' pivotallyf'earried thereon:v byfa zpair of spaced arms located 'between the-tf side walls of gthe two secti'onsfsaidfarms h'avingiar length and being located sothat they act to Vholdii the movable section in Yeither# its lnormalv Tpos-'r-` i. tion'or'its extended position, coupling means bes.

tween the two sections -comprising;raishaftrofaV tatably mounted within andfatfthe rearitop'ip'art't:

of'fth'e nxedsection; a 'pulley-fastened at each'.

son

end 'of the shaftandf 'each Spull'ey .havingz a strong;V flexible *member -`operatively connected at'its: ine-f, neri end to` its -Jpulley '-andrlliaving its .outeri end; c

fastened to theftop 'partfof '-.ther movable .-sectiorr; a tension'spring-1havingaone-eendazfastened;tolthe;7

shaft and its other end to the top part of the Xedf' section; andY` meansffastened.:toataxparti. of:y the movable section .for applyingriorceeto:thezfmovr` able section lto: assist inan'loving.y it to; eith'erf a; .v

lower positiorrwithzr respect.:` to .the iixedqsectioni or to: its normalxpositionr 2. Akitchen cabinet .unittasfset :forthnv claim.;

1 further characterizedpinA thatemeans arefproe.M

vided' on'saidishafttforrholding said .spring aleways siny .proper.fvvorkingi` position.;

3.-' A kitchenzcabinetpunit as set forth l:in claim.,`

1 further characterized inthat`meansare providedrforrengaginggthe topwcfv the :movablefsecf tion for: guiding it and` assisting. in `its initial-M withdrawal -movement=asfwell as on. tsretnrn` movementto normal position 4. Arkitchenf cabinet .unit as iset: forth in'claim.. i

1 furthercharacterized insthat .means compris-- ing-.a Ashaft Vextends between Ythe top .partY of :the

sides of the fixed section forwardly of the rstmentioned shaft, and carries a pair of spaced freely rotatable rollers, said rollers acting as guides and bumpers as the movable section is moved out of and into the iixed section.

5. A kitchen cabinet unit including a xed section and a movable section capable of being positioned wholly Within the xed section or withdrawn; out fof andy downwardly from? the xed 'l0 section while*being*anchored'ithereto; `means for bringing about such positioning comprising, a pair of spaced arms located between the side walls-'.orthe:twoxseotions and pivoted at their corresponding opposite ends to the sections, a

part l`of"'the'fixed section, a pulley fastened at each:,endn-offithesh-aft and each pulley having a strong flexible member connected between it and the-'top` part of the movable section, a tension spring fastened between sthe shaft and the top part -f'offthe l iixedvseotinnv A:andineans fastenedI to a .partici the movable:section` foriapplying forcee thereto to bring about 'th'ez positioningnof: ther. movable section:

69A 'kitchen cabinet .unitias setxforthfin claim", 5 urther-characterized in thatsaidl arms of each:V pair 'arefspaoedeoneaboyefthesother and epivoted: to' their :respective sections so '.wl'ien .the movable section-is in either of :its-twofullyV operativepositicns -thearms willibezoif from; any: dead cen-e,

terwhereby the movable-:section 'will-,beheld by 'f the arms, against the pull of saidl tension spring.. in astableipositionf.:

7. Akitchen.` cabinetzunit1as set forth-'in zclaimy.Y 5 further characterized; inthat said'arms: ofy eachef pair aree` spacedzonezabove r the otherfand. piv-oted toltheir*respectivefsectionsgso wh'en'tthefmovable;` section is iinizeithercoffiitsrtwo i tullyoperativef. pof-l sitions the arms :will be; oiifrom any; dead .cen.

.mtenwhereby the movable sectionwillibeheld by the: arms; against Aithe Apull of'fsaitensicnspring. in a stable position, andefurther:characterizedn4 in .that .bumpertxanduguide means: ares. provided fon-'cooperation withpfth'e rtop. of thef movable sec- -v .-tion to1 `,assist in'zits; positioningmovements.-

8. A-.kitchen' cabinet-'unitincluding` a liixed section normally housingiamovablesection, the latter-being rpvoted-,to theoxed-` section by a pair of arms on each side of the movable section,l then; pivots .being fpositionedeonngthe -ztwo seotions- .so thearmsfwill movein parallel relation,l means for:I applying.,y arcontinuous: inwardly acting, pull on.. thefpmovable section,including `a spring opera-- tively connectedto the= movablee section through thefmedium. oiLa shaft. supported .bya the ,xed section, the ,--shat;.having. pulleys at its f. opposite ends :i adjacent thefinner. sidewalls of the fixed section, the pulleys having strong flexible'metal- A lic: members zfastened:theretoandf to.thetop .part of..themovablefzsectioniand means attached cli-1Y 'reetly to the movable section-...for-...applyingforce.,.l thereto. so` as; to .Withdrawit :fromandVV return. it to` the .fixed .sectionsn CECI-L PERRY. BOYD'.

The: followings-ireferenleescare: of'1 record: in ,the ze' nie fotthisr: patent:

UNITED *STATES PATENTS f Name; Date 569,608. Bristol'. Oct., 20, .1896 670,793' Lippincott .Mar;...26,.190lq 749,653.` Arnold Jan-,12.19044 

